The Mayflower Community March Treasure Chest display is featuring a collection of Toby Jugs and Character Mugs owned by Mayflower resident, Dorothy Martinek. Dorothy has been collecting these ceramic pieces for about 50 years.
Mayflower’s Treasure Chest, overseen by a Mayflower Residents Association standing committee, is located in the lobby of the Pearson building. Each month the display, in the locked glass cabinet, changes to feature various collections, usually those of residents.
The handful of Toby Jugs in Dorothy’s collection are depictions of the original “Toby Fillet” (or Philpot). Toby Jugs, first appearing in 1770, were named for an 18th-century Yorkshire (England) man who got the nickname, “Toby Fillpot,” after he drank 2,000 pints of Yorkshire Stingo (ale). A Toby Jug is a figural ceramic pitcher modeled in the form of a popular character, historical, fictional, or generic. It can be a person or animal. See the accompanying photo.
The majority of Dorothy’s collection are Character Mugs, which feature literary characters, famous Americans, statesmen, pirates, and various tradesmen. They display characters’ heads and shoulders, and most of Dorothy’s are crafted by Royal Doulton. In the attached photo are an Annie Oakley and a Buffalo Bill Character Mug.
— Bob Mann, Mayflower Sales & Marketing Director